Direct Contact

DIRECT CONTACT (2009)

Directed by: Danny Lerner
Screenplay: Les Weldon
Starring: Dolph Lundgren, Gina May, Michael Pare

About as cookie cutter, off the assembly line as low budget action films come, Direct Contact gets to the point quick and delivers satisfyingly staged action at regular intervals. Lundgren is his usually solid self and while this seems more like a contractually obliged film, it's still reassuring to see him churn out a couple of straight forward action films a year. Unlike other stars of his ilk, Seagal and Van Damme, Lundgren seems to have embraced his legacy as an action icon, thus he actually appears in his films (unlike a certain double reliant Seagal) and accepts roles in big budget action movies when they come along (unlike a certain Expendables snubbing Van Damme). Its also good to see the Swedish oak has turned to directing his own action flicks (The Mechanik, Missionary Man) in recent years, meaning he often delivers above par straight-to-DVD action flicks.



Unfortunately this isn't one he has directed but a Nu Image produced, Bulgarian shot cheapie that is neither full on action fun or outright awful. Lundgren plays the typical special forces soldier banged up in some hell hole prison for smuggling weapons and takes a daily beating from inmates and prison guards a like. But he's given the action move plot staple of an offer he can't refuse: rescue some important person who has been kidnapped and freedom and a large deposit in the bank account are assured. Such an offer is put to Lundgren by a shady Michael Pare (another action movie and Nu Image regular) who you know is the bad guy from the second he walks on screen. Which in turns leads to lots of double crossing, Lundgren falling for the pretty girl he is supposed to rescue and the two going on the run dodging excessive amounts of bullets, explosions, hordes of ineptly trained military goons and Pare's incessant need to swear to seem more evil.

Yep as run-of-the-mill as they come but bolstered by large amounts of explosion heavy, squib reliant, vehicle and property damaging action. Its all staged fairly well and the film does let Lundgren cut loose in a seemingly never ending series of hard hitting fights which are pleasantly punchy and take down heavy. The film does unfortunately rely a little too much on stock footage from other Nu Image flicks to pad out some of the action scenes, but hey, this is a cheap and cheerful action flick, so what do you expect. Nothing great but entertaining nonetheless and will do until Lundgren directs his next flick, The Expendables is released and the no doubt inevitable Universal Soldier 4 arrives.